Search Results (529)

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic caused over seven million deaths globally as of July 2024. In an attempt to bring the pandemic under control, immunization was implemented as the main preventive strategy. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of hospitalized patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) regarding COVID-19 vaccination, as well as the factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccination rates. Methods: This cross-sectional, survey-based KAP study was conducted between November 2024 and February 2025 in five hospitals across five cities of the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Results: There were 571 respondents, 68% of whom were female, with an average age of 39.17 ± 14.74 years; one-third held a university degree. The study sample consisted of patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) (59% vs. 41%). During the pandemic period, 46.6% of respondents were diagnosed with COVID-19, with a higher prevalence among healthcare workers compared to patients (54.2% vs. 41.2%). Among the 55.2% of respondents who were vaccinated, HCWs were more often vaccinated than patients (70.9% vs. 44.2%) and more likely to know that vaccines protect against severe forms of disease and death (80.8% vs. 68.5%). Patients more often believed that vaccination against COVID-19 may lead to sterility in young patients (11.3% vs. 6%) and were more often afraid of vaccination compared to the occurrence of COVID-19 (35.6% vs. 24.8%). Regression analyses showed that independent predictors of COVID-19 vaccination were older age (p < 0.001), higher education level (p = 0.039), knowledge of vaccine production technology, and the belief that vaccinated individuals have milder symptoms of the disease (p = 0.002). Conversely, the belief that the COVID-19 situation was overblown was negatively associated with vaccination (p = 0.004). Conclusions: HCWs had better knowledge, more positive attitudes, and better vaccination practices against COVID-19 in comparison to patients. However, there are still certain dilemmas and hesitations among HCWs toward COVID-19 vaccination. Full article

Particulate atmospheric pollution poses a global threat to human health. Metals enter the body through inhalation attached to these particles. Certain vulnerable groups are more susceptible to toxicity because of age, physiological changes, and chronic and metabolic diseases and also workers because of high and cumulative exposure to metals. A narrative review was conducted to examine the effects of key metals—arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, manganese, nickel, vanadium, and zinc—on vulnerable populations, analyzing articles published over the past decade. Some of these metals are essential for humans; however, excessive levels are toxic. Other non-essential metals are highly toxic. Shared mechanisms of toxicity include competing with other minerals, oxidative stress and inflammation, and interacting with proteins and enzymes. Prenatal and childhood exposures are particularly concerning because they can interfere with neurodevelopment and have been associated with epigenetic changes that have long-term effects. Occupational exposure has been studied, but current exposure limits for specific metals appear dangerous, emphasizing the need to revise these standards. Older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with metabolic diseases are among the least studied groups in this review, underscoring the need for more research to understand these populations better and create effective public health policies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Current studies have shown that caregiving anxiety is associated with an individual’s dysfunctional thoughts. The aim of this study was to assess the mediating effect of caregivers’ forgiveness (benevolence, lack of avoidance and lack of revenge) on the relationship between dysfunctional thoughts and anxiety in the informal caregivers of dependent older adults. Methods: Participants were 222 family caregivers. We conducted path analysis to test the hypothesized model. Results: We found a model that showed a good fit (χ² = 3.410; χ²/gL = 5; p = 0.63; GFI = 0.994; CFI = 0.999; RMSEA = 0.001). It showed a direct and negative association between dysfunctional thoughts and lack of revenge, and this variable was related positively with both benevolence and lack of avoidance. In turn, benevolence was associated with lower levels of anxiety. The associations between dysfunctional thoughts and anxiety were mediated by caregiver forgiveness. Conclusions: Our research suggests the importance of health workers seeking to understand how individuals judge their avoidance, revenge and lack of benevolence, which affect individuals’ anxiety, for change. This study demonstrates the relevance of forgiving strategies in developing and testing informal caregiving assessments. It is necessary to detect and reduce avoidance and revenge related to caregivers. It is also necessary to detect and improve benevolence. Full article

Grounded in stress-reactivity accounts and the Prosocial Classroom model, this study examines how preschool teachers’ responses to children’s negative emotions are associated with teacher job stress and age in Greek early childhood education settings. These frameworks suggest that elevated job stress may erode teachers’ regulatory resources and responsiveness, increasing non-supportive reactions and reducing supportive emotion coaching during emotionally charged classroom interactions. A sample of 101 full-time preschool educators (M age = 42.3 years; 97% female) completed two instruments: the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES) and the Child Care Workers’ Job Stress Inventory (CCW-JSI). Age-controlled partial correlations indicated that higher job stress was associated with more frequent use of non-supportive reactions, including punitive and minimizing responses, and less frequent use of supportive strategies, such as emotion-focused, problem-focused, and expressive encouragement responses. Older teachers tended to report higher supportive response scores, particularly for problem-focused reactions and expressive encouragement. These findings highlight the importance of teacher well-being for the emotional climate of preschool classrooms and suggest that job stress may undermine educators’ capacity to consistently engage in supportive emotion socialization. The study contributes to the education literature by linking teacher stress and emotion socialization practices in a policy context where early childhood education is expanding but remains under-resourced. Implications for teacher education, professional development, and system-level initiatives to support educators’ social-emotional competence are discussed. Full article

Since 2015, nearly 3 million Venezuelans have fled to Columbia, forced to leave their homeland by a multidimensional humanitarian crisis. Entering the Columbian labour market has become one of the key challenges facing these migrants. In the fragile socio-economic context of cities bordering Venezuela, finding employment is especially difficult. This study aimed to clarify the factors related to unemployment among Venezuelan immigrants in the border municipalities of Villa del Rosario, Los Patios and Cúcuta (Colombia). The target population included 122 Venezuelan migrants who reported being unemployed. The primary data was collected from July to October 2022. Using multiple correspondence analysis and positioning maps, we identified three different profiles that emerge among these unemployed immigrants. Profile 1 is characterised as young people with an education level ranging from primary school to high school and an occupational profile of mainly service workers and salespeople in commerce and markets. Profile 2, of greatest interest in this study, is characterised as mostly young women who received university education but have not managed to enter the labour market. Profile 3 is largely men aged 48 to 61 years and older, with medium technical and higher university-level education and an occupational profile of mostly technical and professional medium level. We conclude with several recommendations to promote formal labour integration among Venezuelan migrants. Full article

Background: Burnout among healthcare workers (HCWs) threatens workforce stability and patient care, particularly in rural hospitals where staff shortages, limited resources, and professional isolation amplify stress. Peer support interventions have demonstrated promise in urban centers, but their feasibility and impact in rural settings remain underexplored. Methods: We implemented and evaluated the Johns Hopkins RISE (Resilience in Stressful Events) peer support program across two rural hospital systems in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Using pre- and post-implementation surveys, we assessed anxiety (GAD-7), burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), resilience (CD-RISC), and perceptions of organizational culture of well-being. Linear and logistic regression models adjusted for age, site, and employment duration were used to evaluate outcomes over time. Results: A total of 868 respondents participated across three time points. Burnout and anxiety declined modestly post-implementation, while resilience improved initially but was not sustained at 2-year follow-up. Older employees demonstrated lower anxiety and burnout, while mid-career employees (3–10 years of employment) reported significantly higher distress. Importantly, access to peer support and perceived availability of supportive resources improved significantly over time, reflecting growing program integration. Conclusions: RISE was adapted successfully in rural hospital settings, with evidence of reduced burnout, lower anxiety, and increased perceived access to peer support. While resilience gains were not sustained, results suggest that a peer support program tailored to each organization can mitigate workforce distress in rural health systems. Addressing implementation and contextual barriers and sustaining organizational commitment are important for long-term impact. Expanding peer support to rural hospitals may improve workforce retention and care delivery in underserved communities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Return to work (RTW) after an industrial accident is crucial for an individual’s well-being and socioeconomic recovery. This study investigated factors influencing RTW among workers who sustained physical or brain lesion-related disabilities following industrial accidents. Methods: Using five-year panel data (2018–2022) from the Panel Study of Workers’ Compensation Insurance of South Korea, we analyzed 340 individuals with physical or brain lesion-related disabilities sustained from industrial accidents. We used logistic regression models to identify factors associated with RTW and return to employed (RTE) status. Results: The RTW and non-RTW groups comprised 160 and 180 participants, respectively. Factors associated with non-RTW included female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13–0.86; p = 0.023), injury caused by disease (aOR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.05–0.66; p = 0.010), long recovery periods (aOR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.10–0.72; p = 0.009), low self-confidence (aOR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.07–0.35; p < 0.001), and older age (aOR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02–0.34; p = 0.001). Workers with no blood pressure problems (aOR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.11–4.38; p = 0.024) and longer employment durations (aOR, 3.84; 95% CI, 1.15–12.81; p = 0.029) had a higher chance of RTW. Similar factors were associated with RTE, with more emphasis on older age, long recovery periods, low self-confidence, and injury caused by disease. Conclusions: Our findings contribute to developing targeted support services and informing policy decisions to improve RTW for workers with physical or brain lesion-related disabilities caused by industrial accidents. Full article

Background: Viticulture in Southern Brazil heavily relies on fungicides, such as Mancozeb, to manage fungal diseases. Increasing concern has emerged regarding the chronic health effects of Mancozeb exposure among vineyard workers, particularly its potential to induce oxidative stress and genotoxicity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and November 2023 involving 94 participants: 50 vineyard workers occupationally exposed to Mancozeb and 44 organic farmers with no history of pesticide exposure, who served as the control group. Eligible participants were aged 18 years or older, and exposed individuals had at least 5 years of documented Mancozeb use. Data on demographics, health status, occupational history, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) were collected through structured interviews. Blood and urine samples were analyzed to determine hematological and biochemical parameters, oxidative stress biomarkers, genotoxicity (via comet assay and micronucleus test), and urinary ethylene thiourea (ETU), the primary metabolite of Mancozeb. Results: Workers exposed to Mancozeb exhibited significantly elevated levels of oxidative stress markers (p < 0.001) and DNA damage in both genotoxicity assays (p < 0.001). Urinary ETU concentrations were also markedly elevated, and a threshold of 69.3 ng/mL was identified as a discriminative marker of exposure. Conclusions: This study offers a novel contribution by proposing a specific biological exposure limit for ETU concentrations, derived from ROC curve analysis, representing a significant advancement in occupational health. The findings underscore the urgent need for regulatory biological exposure limits and the implementation of effective preventive strategies. Full article

The proactive safety behavior of construction workers is crucial for accident prevention. This study examines the mechanism through which altruistic leadership influences such behavior, proposing a theoretical model grounded in social exchange theory, self-determination theory, and situational strength theory. The model positions psychological empowerment as a mediator and perceived organizational support as a moderator. Hypotheses were tested using survey data from 718 construction workers in China. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), complemented by a multi-group analysis based on the workers’ age and weekly working hours. The results show that altruistic leadership significantly enhances proactive safety behavior. Psychological empowerment partially mediates this relationship, while perceived organizational support positively moderates the link between psychological empowerment and proactive safety behavior. Furthermore, the positive effect of altruistic leadership was more substantial among older workers and those with longer weekly working hours. In contrast, the mediating role of psychological empowerment was more pronounced among younger workers. These findings reveal the dual influence of internal psychological mechanisms and external contextual factors in the relationship between altruistic leadership and proactive safety behavior. This study helps managers foster safety proactivity by promoting altruistic leadership and supportive organizational environments. Full article

Background/Objective: Healthcare professionals working with individuals living with neurocognitive disorders (NCD) express the need for training to prevent suicidal behaviors in this population. Accordingly, this paper describes the process used to develop a suicide prevention clinical guide for use in geriatric care settings. Methods: The project involved three steps. First, a team of researchers conducted a scoping review of empirical studies on suicide among older adults with NCD, focusing on prevalence, risk and protective factors, assessment and practical interventions. Secondly, based on these findings, the team created a clinical guide that helps healthcare professionals assess needs and suicide risk and formulate action plans to improve well-being, ensure safety, and reduce the risk of suicide. Result: The guide was finalized after 18 months of deliberation. It enables professionals to structure their evaluation, so that no relevant aspect is overlooked, and protective factors are reinforced. It emphasizes shared responsibilities and interdisciplinary collaboration. It recommends that professionals conduct a personalized clinical assessment of unmet needs to reduce distress. During the third step, the guide was evaluated through a pilot study, involving post-training focus groups and interviews with professionals who used it in clinical practice. Conclusions: Participants’ feedback was integrated into the final version of the Guide, and the results indicated that it helped dispel misconceptions about the low risk of suicide among patients with NCD, whose suicidality is frequently misinterpreted as mere disruptive behavior. Organizational barriers represent the main challenge professionals may face when using the Guide. Full article

Ageism remains a pervasive yet under-addressed form of workplace discrimination, affecting employees across age groups. This study, conducted within the framework of the EU-funded project SNAW–Say No to Ageism in the Workplace, presents findings from a cross-national survey in Germany, Romania, Ireland, Portugal, and Greece, with 511 participants including employees and employers. The survey examined five dimensions of workplace ageism (cognitive, emotional, behavioural, institutional, and outcome-related) through questions on stereotypes, experiences, organisational practices, and perceived impacts. Results indicate that age-based stereotypes are widely recognised, especially in Germany, Ireland, and Greece. Older workers were often portrayed as resistant to change or technologically outdated, while younger workers were described as inexperienced or unreliable. Despite some positive perceptions, these ambivalent views contribute to exclusionary dynamics. Employees consistently reported higher levels of ageism than employers, revealing a “perception gap”. Institutional responses were uneven: awareness of policies or initiatives promoting age diversity was low, and their effectiveness remained uncertain. Across countries, respondents linked ageism to reduced job satisfaction and productivity, though the perceived severity varied. The findings highlight ageism as a multifaceted challenge that undermines well-being and organisational performance. Counteracting it requires raising awareness, transparent communication, inclusive policies, and leadership engagement across Europe. Full article

Background/Objectives: The literature indicates that decreased vitamin D levels are frequently observed in individuals with severe psychiatric disorders. However, the scarcity of studies investigating this association in non-psychiatric populations, such as working women, limits the generalizability of these findings. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between common mental disorders (CMDs) and vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency among female workers in southern Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 304 female workers from an industrial group in southern Brazil. Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency was defined as a serum 25(OH)D concentration of <30 ng/mL. CMDs were assessed using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), with a cutoff score of ≥8. The association between CMDs and vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency was estimated using prevalence ratios (PRs) obtained through Poisson regression models adjusted for potential confounders. All analyses were stratified by age group (≤40 years and >40 years). Results: The ≤40-year group included 212 women (69.7%; mean age: 30.1 ± 6.3 years), and the >40-year group included 92 women (30.3%; mean age: 47.5 ± 5.6 years). The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency was 75.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 69.1–80.9) in women aged ≤40 years and 77.2% (95% CI: 68.4–85.9) in those aged >40 years. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, among women older than 40 years, those with CMDs had a 25% higher probability of presenting vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency compared to those without CMDs (PR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.00–1.56; p = 0.044). Among women aged ≤40 years, no significant association was observed between CMDs and vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency (PR = 1.10; 95% CI: 0.94–1.30; p = 0.226). Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate a significant association between common mental disorders and vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency among female workers, particularly in those aged 40 years or older. Full article

Practices with medical cyclotrons to produce PET radiopharmaceuticals in Latin America represent a technological advance for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer, but they involve occupational risks due to exposure to ionizing radiation. This study evaluates the perception of risk in 46 radiopharmacy service workers in 13 countries in the region (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Dominican Republic and Venezuela), analyzing differences by gender and age. The questionnaire, validated by reliability analysis (Cronbach’s coefficient α > 0.7), was statistically analyzed with means, standard deviations (SD) and standard errors (SE), 95% confidence intervals (Student’s t-distribution), and coefficients of variation (CV) to assess the dispersion of each variable. The results reveal general underestimation in dimensions such as reversibility of consequences (SD = 0.7142, SE = 0.1053) and familiarity (SD = 0.8410, SE = 0.124), promoting complacency, while immediacy of consequences shows overestimation (SD = 0.9760, SE = 0.1439), amplifying anxiety. By gender, women tend to overestimate (e.g., immediacy = 2.5) and men underestimate (e.g., confidence = 1.78); by age, young people (26–45 years old) overestimate more than older people (≥46 years old). These deviations, with high QoL indicating heterogeneity, suggest interventions such as continuous training, real-time monitoring, and communication campaigns to balance perception. Practical recommendations include job rotations to reduce underestimation due to familiarity and simulations to mitigate emotional overestimation, which are aligned with IAEA regulations (GSR Part 3, SSG-46) to promote a sustainable safety culture. Full article

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among South African women and remains a leading cause of cancer-related death, yet the role of occupation as an independent predictor of mortality has not been evaluated nationally. In this unmatched case–control study using 2011–2019 mortality data, we compared 13,207 breast cancer deaths with 64,849 non-malignant circulatory disease deaths among women aged 30 years and older, classifying usual occupation into major and sub-groups. A multivariable binary logistic regression adjusting for age, year of death, education, province of death and smoking status was conducted. We observed that compared with elementary occupations, breast cancer mortality was significantly higher during 2011–2015 among legislators, senior officials and managers (aMOR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.36–2.36), clerks (aMOR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.46–2.11), professionals (aMOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.36–1.94), craft and related trades workers (aMOR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.18–2.05), technicians and associate professionals (aMOR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.21–1.96), and service workers, shop and market sales workers (aMOR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.10–1.62), with similar patterns persisting in 2016–2019 where technicians and associate professionals (aMOR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.44–1.98), legislators, senior officials and managers (aMOR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.20–2.10), professionals (aMOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.23–1.75), clerks (aMOR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.24–1.65), and service workers (aMOR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.12–1.61) again showed elevated odds. The sub-occupation analyses for 2011–2015 identified strikingly high risks among building and related trades workers excluding electricians (aMOR = 8.01, 95% CI: 3.06–20.96), legal, social and cultural professionals (aMOR = 3.32, 95% CI: 2.18–5.04), and business and administration professionals (aMOR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.60–2.97). The results underscore occupation as an essential determinant of breast cancer mortality, highlighting the need for targeted prevention and screening strategies in workers. Full article

Young people in developing countries play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable practices; however, little is known about whether the psychological determinants behind their pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) differ across developmental stages This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) with environmental information exposure to explain young people’s PEBs and to examine their developmental heterogeneity, an aspect often overlooked in prior research. Using survey data from young people in Hue City, Vietnam (n = 995), we applied multigroup structural equation modeling to compare high school students, university students, and young workers. The integrated model explains 43.1% of the variance in PEBs. Intention is positively predicted by self-efficacy, subjective norm, attitude, and perceived vulnerability, and negatively predicted by reward and cost orientation. PEBs are directly predicted by intention, self-efficacy, and environmental information exposure. Subgroup contrasts reveal that response cost is negligible for high school students but a strong deterrent for older groups; self-efficacy directly predicts behavior only among university students and young workers; and environmental information exposure directly predicts behavior only among high school students. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing developmental heterogeneity among young people and suggest tailoring interventions to developmental stages, particularly in climate-vulnerable developing and emerging Asian contexts. Full article